Twin conductor shielded wire connector



Aug. 11, 1964 E. w. FORNEY, JR

TWIN CONDUCTOR SHIELDED WIRE CONNECTOR 2. Sheets-Shee 1 Filed Jan. 17. 1961 INVENTOR. EDG HR \J. FORNEY IR.

E. W. FORNEY, JR

TWIN CONDUCTOR SHIELDED WIRE CONNECTOR Aug. 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 1'7, 1961 Erm Q INVENTOR EDGHR W. FORNEY JR.

United States Patent 3,144,292 TWIN CONDUCTOR SHIELDED WIRE CONNECTOR Edgar W. Forney, .lr., Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Eaer. No. 83,269 4 Claims. (Cl. 3359-128) In the use of electrical conductors, it is frequently neces sary to protect the signal transmitted along the conductor from stray interference signals. This is especially desirable in communication cable Where interference will destroy the intelligilibity of the signal. In connecting wires of this type together, it is not only necessary to connect the main conductors, but it is also necessary to connect the shielding means without destroying the continuity.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means for easily joining and disconnecting shielded cables, particularly of the variety having two central conductive cores encompassed by a common shielding means. It is also an object of this invention to provide connecting means for conductors of the type described whereby the connection is polarized to insure that each of the proper inner conductors is connected to its respective mating conductor.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the dravn'ngs:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a device embodying the principles of this application;

FIGURE 1A is a perspective view of a length of twoconductor, shielded cable;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the device shown in FIGURE 1 in its assembled position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are taken through their respective planes on FIGURE 3.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the female half of the connector assembly comprises a first shell It), an insulation insert 16, a pair of receptacles I8 and 20, and a pair of receptacle ferrules 22 and 24 which hold in position and confines spring clips 26 and 28. An outer ring 12 is assembled after the wires are inserted prior to crimping the connector assembly, and a spring 14 is used when it is desirable to hold the crimped assembly in proper position in one cavity of a multiple connector block.

A typical section of two-conductor, shielded wire, as shown in FIGURE 1A, comprises a pair of central conductors 30 and 32, each surrounded by insulation 34 and 36. A sheath of braided shield 38 encompasses the insulated conductors and an exterior insulation covering 4t) surrounds the shield 38.

Again directing attention to the connector assembly, the female shell gently steps down from a major diameter at one end, to an intermediate central diameter and to a minor diameter at the opposite end. The larger diameter portion has a flange or lip 42 at its free end. A pair of parallel, elongated openings 46 and 48 are disposed in the intermediate portion of the shell and the opice posed surface of the shell has identically matching openings. One opening is longer than the other for reasons to be described later.

The insulation member 16 is comprised of a pair of longitudinal parallel openings 50 and 52 and elongated openings 54, 56 at right angles thereto. One end of the insulating member 16 has a cut-away segment to form a flat surface 53 that is adapted to orient the connector.

The ferrules 18 and 20 are adapted to be crimped onto the wires 30 and 32. Arcuate surfaces 60 and 62 emanating therefrom cooperate with the resilient clip springs 26 and 28 to receive pin portions of mating connectors. Ferrules 22 and 24 protect the clip springs from over-expansion and hold them in proper position.

The braid retaining ring 12 has a sufficiently large inside diameter to fit over the smallest diameter portion of the shell 10. The spring 14 is C-shaped and sufficiently resilient to snap over the outside of the shell 10. Prongs 64 and 66 retain the device within a housing and elongated dimples 68 on the inner surface of the clip mate with the longer opening 46 on the shell It This arrangement orients the spring 14 with respect to the shell It), since the dimple 68 is too long to fit into the opening 48. One of the prongs, 64", is made longer than the others to extend radially to serve as connector half orienting means.

In product assembly, the springs 26 and 28 are clipped onto the arcuate surfaces and ferrules 22, 24 slipped in place. The ferrules 18 and 25) are inserted into the openings 50 and 52 in the insulation member 16, and the insulation member is inserted into the shell It).

To assemble the connector on the twin-conductor cable, proper stripping will expose a portion of the bare conductors 30, 32, as well as the shielding braid 38. The openings 46, 48 are aligned with the openings 54-, 56, which are intersected by the ferrules I8 and 20. The bare conductors 30, 32 are inserted into the ferrules 18, 20, and crimping dies (not shown) are driven through the aligned openings onto the ferrules to crimp the conductors therein. The braid 38 is simultaneously slipped over the small diameter portion of the shell 10 and the ring 12 is fitted over the outer surface of the braid. The ring 12 is deformed onto the shell 10, thus entrapping the braidtherein at the same time the ferrules are crimped to the two center conductors.

The mating male connector 10' and insulating member 16 are much the same as their counterparts. Male connector 10' has an inwardly deflected, horseshoe-shaped, cut-out portion 44 which forms a resilient spring means. The cut-away section 58' of the insulating member 16' forms a minor are (as seen in cross-section) while the section 58 forms a major arc, whereby the two members complement each other to form a circle. The openings in the insulating member 16 only extend through the noncut-away portion. Ring 12' and spring 14' serve the same function as ring 12 and spring 14.

The ferrules 18 and 20' have pins 22' and 24' emanating therefrom, rather than the arcuate surfaces which extend from the ferrules 18 and 20. These pins are adapted to slide under the clips 26 and 28 to make a disconnect type of connection.

A second shielded connector is adapted to be secured to the pin assembly whereby the two portions can be fitted into blocks or housings (FIGURE 3) which may be connected together. Each block includes a slot to receive the prong 64" of springs 14 and 14'. The major/ minor arc relationship of the insulating members 16, 16' precisely polarize the twin central conductors of the shielded connectors relative to each connector half prior to engagement and prongs 64" orient connector halves relative to their respective block members and thereby relative to each other.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. An improved connector for interconnecting cable of the type having a pair of inner conductors separately insulated each from the other and commonly surrounded by a metallic braid conductor comprising in combination, a pair of shell members having extensions adapted to fit under said braid and be crimped thereto by a ferrule member fitted over said cable and deformed inwardly against said braid and sleeve extension, each shell member including insulating inserts having forward portions relieved in a complementary fashion to orient one shell member with respect to the other shell member upon engagement of said insulating members, a pair of conductive pin members secured in each insert with the rear portions relieved to each receive an inner conductor and be crimped thereto, the forward portions of the pairs of pin members adapted to intermate, each shell member including a plurality of apertures of different sizes to permit crimping of said pin members, a spring member having an inner projection of the configuration of the larger of said apertures adapted to be fitted therein to orient said spring relative to said shell member, each spring member including an extending prong adapted to cooperate with an insulating block groove to orient said shell member assembly with respect to said block, whereby multiple connectors may be engaged for interconnecting multiple cables with the outer and inner conductor paths properly oriented.

2. An improved electrical connector for interconnecting cable of the type having a pair of conductors separately insulated and commonly surrounded by metallic braid shielding comprising in combination, a pair of connector assemblies including metallic shell members having male and female forward portions of diameters such that the members may be telescopically engaged in a slidng frictional fit for electrical contact therebetween, each shell member including a sleeve extension of a diameter adapted to be fitted under said braid with said conductors extending within said shell member, a ferrule for each shell member of a diameter adapted to be fitted over said braid and deformed inwardly to electrically connect said braid to said shell extension and thereby to said shell members, an insulation insert in each shell member having parallel apertures, conductive members mounted in each aperture of each insulating insert within said shell, each conductive member including a hollow bore adapted to receive one cable conductor, each conductive member further including a forward portion with a pair of said conductive members associated with one shell member including male pin forward portions and the other pair including spring forward portions such that the pin portions may be telescopically engaged within the spring portions in a sliding frictional fit to electrically connect pairs of cable conductors, the insulating inserts including forward portions overlying the spring and pin portions with adjacent relieved portions of each of said insulating inserts adapted to be fitted in a relative overlapping relationship to orient the pairs of conductive members of each connector assembly for ease of insertion, each shell member including a pair of die apertures of distinctively different sizes and each insulating member including a pair of apertures aligned with the shell apertures to permit the insertion of dies to deform said conductive members inwardly against the cable conductors, and further including for each connector asesmbly, a C-shaped spring member having an inner diameter adapted to fit over said shell member proximate said apertures, the spring member including an identation adapted to fit within the larger of said die apertures whereby said spring member is oriented relative to said shell member.

3. An improved electrical connector for interconnecting cable of the type having a pair of conductors separately insulated and commonly surrounded by metallic braid shielding comprising in combination, a pair of connector assemblies including metallic shell members having male and female forward portions of diameters such that the members may be telescopically engaged in a sliding frictional fit for electrical contact therebetween, each shell member including a sleeve extension of a diameter adapted to be fitted under said braid with said conductors extending within said shell member, a ferrule for each shell member of a diameter adapted to be fitted over said braid and deformed inwardly to electrically connect said braid to said shell extension and thereby to said shell members, an insulation insert in each shell member having parallel apertures, conductive members mounted in each aperture of each insulating insert within said shell, each conductive member including a hollow bore adapted to receive one cable conductor, each conductive member further including a forward portion with a. pair of said conductive members associated with one shell member including male pin forward portions and the other pair including spring forward portions such that the pin portions may be telescopically engaged within the spring portions in a sliding frictional fit to electrically connect pairs of cable conductors, the insulating inserts including forward portions overlying the spring and pin portions with adjacent relieved portions of each of said insulating inserts adapted to be fitted in a relative overlapping relationship to orient the pairs of conductive members of each connector assembly for ease of insertion, each shell member including a pair of die apertures of distinctively different sizes and each insulating member including a pair of apertures aligned with the shell apertures to permit the insertion of dies to deform said conductive members inwardly against the cable conductors, and further including for each connector assembly, a C-shaped spring member having an inner diameter adapted to fit over said shell member proximate said apertures, the spring member including an indentation adapted to fit within the larger of said die apertures whereby said spring member is oriented relative to said shell member, and the said spring member including extensions at either end and adapted to cooperate with connector block extensions to orient said spring member and thereby said connector assembly with respect to said block.

4. An improved electrical connector for interconnecting cable of the type having a pair of conductors separately insulated and commonly surrounded by metallic braid shielding comprising in combination, a pair of connector assemblies including metallic shell members having male and female forward portions of diameters such that the members may be telescopically engaged in a sliding frictional fit for electrical contact therebetween, each shell member including a sleeve extension of a diameter adapted to be fitted under said braid with said conductors extending within said shell member, a ferrule for each shell member of a diameter adapted to be fitted over said braid and deformed inwardly to electrically connect said braid to said shell extension and thereby to said shell members, an insulation insert in each shell member having parallel apertures, conductive members mounted in each aperture of each insulating insert within said shell, each conductive member including a hollow bore adapted to receive one cable conductor, each conductive member further including a forward portion with a pair of said conductive members associated with one shell member including male pin forward portions and the other pair including spring forward portions such that the pin portions may be telescopically engaged within the spring portions in a sliding frictional fit to electrically connect pairs of cable conductors, the insulating inserts including forward portions overlying the spring and pin portions with adjacent relieved portions of each of said insulating inserts adapted to be fitted in a relative overlapping relationship to orient the pairs of conductive members of each connector assembly for ease of insertion, each shell member including a pair of die apertures of distinctively different sizes and each insulating member including a pair of apertures aligned with the shell apertures to permit the insertion of dies to deform said conductive members inwardly against the cable conductors, and further including for each connector assembly, a C-shaped spring member having an inner diameter adapted to fit over said shell member proximate said apertures, the spring member including an indentation adapted to fit within the larger of said die apertures whereby said spring member is oriented relative to said shell member, and the said spring member including extensions at either end and adapted to cooperate with connector block extensions to orient said spring member and thereby said connector assembly with respect to said block, one of said spring member extensions extending radially beyond the other of said extensions to cooperate with the slot and insulating block member to orient a connector assembly with respect to said block and thereby permit multiple connector assemblies to the oriented.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,026 Meschenmoser Oct. 19, 1915 1,835,109 Ayres Dec. 8, 1931 1,987,035 Tideman Jan. 8, 1935 2,039,996 Hessel May 5, 1936 2,124,207 Neesen July 19, 1938 2,700,140 Phillips Jan. 18, 1955 2,716,744 Swanson et al Aug. 30, 1955 2,901,572 Robison Aug. 25, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 206,628 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1923 588,110 Great Britain May 14, 1947 1,074,694 Germany Feb. 4, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES Electronic Design A, Oct. 29, 1958, page xii. Electronic Design C, Jan. 21, 1959, page 6. Electronic Design, Nov. 11, 1959, page 44. (Copy available in Scientific Library.) 

1. AN IMPROVED CONNECTOR FOR INTERCONNECTING CABLE OF THE TYPE HAVING A PAIR OF INNER CONDUCTORS SEPARATELY INSULATED EACH FROM THE OTHER AND COMMONLY SURROUNDED BY A METALLIC BRAID CONDUCTOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF SHELL MEMBERS HAVING EXTENSIONS ADAPTED TO FIT UNDER SAID BRAID AND BE CRIMPED THERETO BY A FERRULE MEMBER FITTED OVER SAID CABLE AND DEFORMED INWARDLY AGAINST SAID BRAID AND SLEEVE EXTENSION, EACH SHELL MEMBER INCLUDING INSULATING INSERTS HAVING FORWARD PORTIONS RELIEVED IN A COMPLEMENTARY FASHION TO ORIENT ONE SHELL MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER SHELL MEMBER UPON ENGAGEMENT OF SAID INSULATING MEMBERS, A PAIR OF CONDUCTIVE PIN MEMBERS SECURED IN EACH INSERT WITH THE REAR PORTIONS RELIEVED TO EACH RECEIVE AN INNER CONDUCTOR AND BE CRIMPED THERETO, THE FORWARD PORTIONS OF THE PAIRS OF PIN MEMBERS ADAPTED TO INTERMATE, EACH SHELL MEMBER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES OF DIFFERENT SIZES TO PERMIT CRIMPING OF SAID PIN MEMBERS, A SPRING MEMBER HAVING AN INNER PROJECTION OF THE CONFIGURATION OF THE LARGER OF SAID APERTURES ADAPTED TO BE FITTED THEREIN TO ORIENT SAID SPRING RELATIVE TO SAID SHELL MEMBER, EACH SPRING MEMBER INCLUDING AN EXTENDING PRONG ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH AN INSULATING BLOCK GROOVE TO ORIENT SAID SHELL MEMBER ASSEMBLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID BLOCK, WHEREBY MULTIPLE CONNECTORS MAY BE ENGAGED FOR INTERCONNECTING MULTIPLE CABLES WITH THE OUTER AND INNER CONDUCTOR PATHS PROPERLY ORIENTED. 